Harry de wallace



No. 608,586. Patented Aug. 9, I898. H. DE WALLACE.

SCORE COUNTER.

(Applicntion filed Aug. 14, 1897.)

(No noun.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY DE XVALLAOE, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO IIIRAM WALKER & SONS, LIMITED, OF VVALKERVILLE, CANADA.

SCORE-COUNTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 608,586, dated August 9, 1898.

Application filed August 14, 1897. Serial No. 648,201. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY DE WALLACE, of the city of St. Paul, county of Ramsey, State of l\linnesota,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Score-Counters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to score-counters, and particularly to means for keeping tally of the points made in playing base-ball and cricket games.

The object of the invention is to provide a small counter or tally which may be held in the hand and which may be operated without looking at the same and the score upon which may be told by the sense of touch, it being unnecessary to look at it to determine the number of points registered.

The invention consists generally in the COl11bll1LiJlOl1,Wltll a guide, of buttons provided therein and a spring for retaining said buttons in one end of said guide.

The invention consists, further, in the combination, with the buttons, of a particular spring whereby when the buttons are pressed forward one at a time they will be shot or moved quickly into the opposite end of the guide.

My invention further consists in particular constructions and combinations of parts, all as hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which Figure l is a plan view of a score-counter embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side view thereof. Fig. 3 is a cross-section substantially on the line a a; of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a sectional view, with the top of the case removed, substantially on the line 3 y of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a view of one of the buttons. Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the spring. Figs. 7 and 8 illustrate modified forms of buttons. Fig. 0 is a perspective view of the counter.

As shown in the drawings, the device comprises the case 2,the buttons a, and the spring 5. The case 2 is provided with a bottom 0, which, if desired, may be made easily removable. The top of the case is provided with as many parallel slots or guides '7 as there are scores to be kept, and each slot contains the maximum number of points or buttons used in each score. As a base-ball tally four points or buttons at are used in one of the slots or guides, being used to tally the number of balls, while the other slot contains three points or buttons to tally the strikes. The slots are substantially twice the length of the rows of buttons contained in them.

For each set of buttons I provide a spring 5, and the two springs are preferably made in one piece, as shown in Fig. 6, and the loop is held in place in the box or case by means of suitably-positioned pins 8. The springs are provided with V shaped ends 0, the knuckles of which extend outward into the path of or into contact with the enlarged bases 10 of the buttons. The springs will therefore hold the buttons in the guides until pressure is exerted to force a button past the springs, whereupon the button will be struck by the incline of the outer bend of the spring and will be shot forward into the opposite end of the slot or guide. Meantime the spring will snap back and keep the other buttons from following, so that but one button is counted forward at a time. The pres sure need not be exerted upon the first button; but the whole row may be pushed forward, and when the first button flies pastthe spring it will click, and thereby announce the count. At any time thereafter the umpire or other person holding the tally may readily determine the tally or count by placing his finger over the buttons in the open ends or free ends of the slots or guides. 13y open or free ends I mean the ends opposite those in which the sets are originally placed. \Vhen a tally has been made or completed, the buttons may be reinstated behind the springs, or if they have all been pushed forward the tally is simply reversed,and, owing to the fact that the springs are of the same form on both sides of the V-shaped ends, the buttons may be shot back.

In Figs. 7 and S I have shown slightly-moth fled forms of buttons, the same having narrow necks which embrace the sides of the top plate of the case, the slot being narrower than in the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The

buttons are preferably made with quite sharp points, so that they may be detected when the finger is pressed upon the same.

Obviously two and three figure numbers may be counted by using both sets of buttons.

Having thus described my invention, 1

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A score-counter, comprising a case 2,

having slots 7 in its top, a series of counters slidable Within said slots, the spring 5 arranged between said slots Within said case,

and having oppositely-turned V-shaped ends 9, the apexes of said V-shaped parts projectin g partially across the respective slots into the path of said slidable counters, for the purpose set forth.

2. A sc0re-eounter, comprising a case 2, having a top and bottom and provided in its top with slots or guides 7, the counters arranged Within said ease and projecting up through said slots or guides and freely movable therein, the spring 5 arranged within said case between said guides, the pins 8 whereto said spring is secured, said spring having the oppositely-turned V-shaped ends 9, the apexes of said V-shaped ends projecting into the paths of said counters ata point midwaybetween the ends'of said guides, substantially as described.

3. In ascore-counte r,the combination,with a case or box, providedwith a slot or guide, of a series of buttons or counters grouped therein, and a snap-spring arranged substantially midway in said guide and projecting into the path of said buttons, and adapted to shoot the buttons along said guide as they are pressed past said spring.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 7th day of August, A. D. 1897.

HARRY DE \VALLAOE.

In presence of O. G. HAWLEY, HENRY W. COREY. 

